Wire-reeling apparatus.



No. 675,562. Patented June 4, I901. C. HUG.

WIRE REELING APPARATUS.

1' a Moda (App matwn filed mat 23, 1900) lUhil'ThlU STnTns CONRAD HUG, or POLK CITY, IOWA.

WIRE REELING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 675,562, dated June 4, 1901.

Application filed March 23, 1900. Serial Nor 9,903. (No model.)

To all who'nt may concern:

Be i known that I, CONRAD HUG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Polk City, county of Polk, State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Reeling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a device of this class with which an ordinary spool may be readily, quickly, and easily connected and by the operation of a crank a barbed wire lying on the ground-surface may be wound upon the spool and at the same time the device be advanced along the ground-surface to thereby wind the wire tightly upon the spool on account of the drag of the machine, and, further, to provide means whereby barbed wire lying on the ground loosely may be wound with considerable tension upon the reel.

My invention consists, essentially, in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device, and particularlyin the combination of a wooden roller on the axle of the machine to engage with the barbs of the wire and to prevent them from impeding the progress of the machine and at the same time to prevent the wire from being wound loosely upon the spool, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a top or plan view of the complete apparatus. Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the same.

In the accompanying drawings I have used the referencenumeral to indicate a substantially rectangular frame having suitable cross-pieces. In the forward end of the frame is a rotatable axle 11, bearing supporting wheels 12 on its ends. Mounted upon the central portion of the axle between the sides of the frame is a wooden roller 13. This roller is mounted upon the axle in such manner as to be capable of rotation thereon and yet to produce a considerable amount of friction between the roller and axle when the roller rotates relative to the axle, whereby the roller may engage a barb-wire resting upon it, so that when the machine is advanced and the wire is being wound upon the spool a considerable tension will be applied to the wire, so that it will be tightly wound upon the spool. For this reason the roller is placed upon the rotatable wheel-axle in such manner that the top surface of the roller may rotate in a direction away from the spool when the machine is advanced.

Near the central portion of the frame two uprights 14 are fixed and supported by the braces 15. Their tops are slotted at 16 to receive a shaft, and from the slot 16 a narrow slot 17 extends downwardly through the upright a short distance to permit the sides of the upright to move to and from each other. Extended through the top of each upright is a bolt 18, having a winged nut 19 on one end. It is obvious that by tightening this winged nut the sides of the upright may be brought closely together to clamp the shaft in the slot 16, so that friction is applied to prevent a free rotation of the shaft.

The reference-numeral 20 is used to indicate a shaft which is provided with a crank 21 on one end and an integral arm 22 near the same end having its upper end bent inwardly.

The spool is indicated by the numeral 23 and is of the ordinary construction.

In use an empty spool is placed upon the shaft and then the shaft is placed in the slots 16. The arm 22 obviously passes between the cross-heads of the spool, and when the crank 21 is turned the spool must turn with it. Assuming that it is desired to wind up a length of barbed Wire resting upon the ground, the end of the barbed wire is first attached to the spool and then the crank 21 is turned. This operation winds the wire upon the spool, and the roller 13 prevents the barbed wire from being caught on the machine-frame. The weight of the machine will obviously serve as a drag, so that the wire is wound tightly upon the spool. Assuming, however, that the wire is lying loosely upon the ground or when the end of the wire is near the apparatus, the barbs of the wire will engage the roller 13, which is turning forwardly on the axle, and

thereby furnishing sufficient resistance to cause the wire to be Wound tightly upon the spool.

When the apparatus is used for unreeling wire, the thumb-nuts 19 are turned so as to near its central portion, said slotted uprights, and means for applying a shaft mounted in a crank on said shaft, tension to said shaft;

whereby the top surface of said roller will rotate in a direction away from said spool when the machine is being advanced over the ground-surface, substantially as, and for the purposes stated.

CONRAD HUG.

lVitnesses: V

ELVA G. WILooX, J. RALPH ORWIG. 

